Managing Stress and Sickness Absence

Progress of the Sector Implementation Plan Phase 2

Broughton A, Tyers C, Wilson S, O’Regan S | Research Report RR694 | Health and Safety Executive | Feb 2009

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This report reflects research that evaluates the HSE’s Sector Implementation Plan Phase 2 initiative, which aimed to help organisations manage stress and absence.

It explores the effectiveness of the intervention in influencing procedures for managing work-related stress and sickness absence in organisations in the HSE’s target sectors.

It also examines organisations’ existing policies and procedures in sickness absence management and stress management practices and assesses progress that organisations have made in implementing the Management Standards.

Finally, it analyses the extent to which any changes made to the management of stress and sickness absence in the organisation worked, the barriers encountered and the solutions to these problems.

The research is based on a telephone survey of 500 HR and occupational health professionals and in-depth case studies with nine organisations.